Sunday, March 2, 2014

Spinach Sunday

If you've been following my blog, that also means you've been following my weight loss journey. It's been a long journey, but definitely worth it. When I started the journey I had no idea it would turn into a complete lifestyle change. I now work out (almost) daily, and eat (mostly) organic, healthy food. I say mostly because it's currently girl scout cookie season, and please, who can pass up those thin mints?!

If you would have told me a year ago that I would like spinach, I would have laughed in your face but I LOVE spinach now and add it to nearly everything! So, I wanted to let you in on a pretty fantastic recipe I whipped up: Gluten Free-Spinach-Pumpkin Pancakes. I've been doing a bit of research on going gluten free and while I'm not completely gluten free, I have found myself feeling better when I do without so I've been experimenting a bit with gluten free recipes. Did you know healthy food can actually taste great?! These pancakes are DELICIOUS. You'd never know they're healthy! Also, spinach just doesn't have a taste to me which is another reason I add it to everything. Is it normal for spinach to have no taste or are my taste buds weirdos?! Anyway, the recipe is super easy which makes it even better! Since I can't taste spinach, these taste like yummy pumpkin pancakes! And since they're green they'd be perfect for a St. Patrick's Day breakfast!

What you'll need:Gluten Free pancake mix. I used the BisQuick brand for these but you can always use regular non gluten free pancake mix! The only ingredients needed to make the mix are: 1 egg, 1 Cup of milk, 2 TB margarine. I used cage free eggs and organic milk for the mix.Pumpkin. I use organic pumpkin puree from a brand called Farmers Market. It's 100% just organic pumpkin- no added ingredients. Hooray! I found it at a local grocery store as well, so it should be pretty easy to locate. Spinach! I used just a handful of organic (chopped) spinach for this recipe.

How to make it:
-Blend all the ingredients for the pancake mix with a mixer.
-Add in the pumpkin. (I used about 1 Cup)
-Add in the chopped spinach. I had used a magic bullet to chop up the spinach before adding it to the mixer. And that's it! Just blend all of those ingredients in the mixer!

We lost track of our griddle in the big move so I just made the pancakes in a regular skillet!

We switched to organic olive oil Pam instead of the regular spray and it works just as well!

It may not look too appetizing while cooking but they turn out fantastic!

This recipe made about 8 medium sized pancakes! We had a few leftovers so I popped them in the freezer to heat up for another day! In total, it maybe took 20 minutes to prepare and cook everything.

Instead of using regular syrup filled with high fructose corn syrup, I topped the pancakes with agave nectar and it was deeee-licious! Husband approved, even ;)
Easy-peasy, right?!

For more recipes, inspiration and fitness tips, follow me here on instagram! I do also post a bunch of cute dog pictures- sorry, not sorry! (instagram: amanda_cervantez)